Home | [1–10] << 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 >> [21–21] |
McDonough, P., Kindig, C. A., Ramsel, C., Poole, D. C., & Erickson, H. H. (2002). The effect of treadmill incline on maximal oxygen uptake, gas exchange and the metabolic response to exercise in the horse. Experimental Physiology, 87(04), 499–506 M3– null.
Abstract: In healthy man, conditions that change muscle O2 delivery affect the achievable maximum rate of O2 uptake (V[dot above]O2,max) as well as the metabolic (e.g. lactate threshold, LT) and gas exchange (e.g. gas exchange threshold, Tge) responses to incremental exercise. Inclined (I) compared to level (L) running increases locomotory muscle EMG at a given speed in the horse, indicative of elevated metabolic demand. To our knowledge, the effect of treadmill incline on V[dot above]O2,max, LT and Tge has not been addressed in the exercising quadruped. We used blood sampling and breath-by-breath expired gas analysis to test the hypothesis that I (10 % gradient) would increase V[dot above]O2,max and the rate of O2 uptake (V[dot above]O2) at LT and Tge in six Thoroughbred horses during incremental running to volitional fatigue. V[dot above]O2,max was significantly higher for I (I, 77.8 ± 4.1; L, 65.5 ± 5.3 l min-1; P < 0.05), but peak plasma lactate concentration was not (I, 28.0 ± 3.7; L, 25.9 ± 3.0 mM). Arterial PCO2 increased to 62.1 ± 3.3 and 57.9 ± 2.7 Torr (I vs. L; P < 0.05), yet despite this relative hypoventilation, a distinct Tge was present. This Tge occurred at a significantly different absolute (I, 49.6 ± 3.2; L, 42.4 ± 3.2 l min-1; P < 0.05), but nearly identical relative V[dot above]O2 (I, 63.6 ± 1.2; L, 63.9 ± 1.6 % V[dot above]O2,max) in I and L. Similarly, LT occurred at a significantly greater absolute V[dot above]O2 (I, 37.3 ± 2.8; L, 26.9 ± 2.1 l min-1), but a relative V[dot above]O2 that was not different (I, 47.9 ± 2.1; L, 43.9 ± 4.5 % V[dot above]O2,max). In addition, Tge occurred at a significantly higher (P [less-than-or-equal] 0.05) absolute and relative V[dot above]O2 than LT for both I and L tests. In conclusion, V[dot above]O2,max is higher during inclined than level running and both LT and Tge in the horse occur at a similar percentage of V[dot above]O2,max irrespective of the absolute level of V[dot above]O2,max. In contrast to humans, LT is a poor analogue of Tge in the horse.
|
Mettke-Hofmann, C., Winkler, H., & Leisler, B. (2002). The Significance of Ecological Factors for Exploration and Neophobia in Parrots. Ethology, 108(3), 249–272.
Abstract: Exploratory behaviour plays an important role in most animals for gathering information about their environment. If it constitutes an adaptation to different environmental conditions exploratory behaviour should differ between species. This has been tested with several hypotheses. Sixty-one parrot species (Psittacidae) from eight tribes with different diets and habitat preferences were investigated in aviaries. Two tests were carried out. First, a novel object (wooden ring) in the familiar aviary was presented on two test days in the exploration test. Latencies until first contact with the object and the duration of exploration were recorded. Secondly, in the neophobia test, novel objects were placed beside the feeding dish and latencies until first food intake were recorded. The exploration and neophobia data were related to 12 (13) ecological variables using multiple regression analyses. Phylogenetic relationships were considered. Species that inhabit complex habitats, such as forest edges, or that feed on buds or species from islands showed the shortest latencies in the exploration test. In contrast, long latencies were related to a diet including a great amount of seeds and/or flowers. The longest duration of exploration occurred in species eating nuts or originating from islands, whereas short durations were related to feeding on seeds. Neophobia was positively related to a diet consisting of insects, and negatively to a diet of leaves. There was no relationship between measures of exploration and neophobia. Exploration and neophobia seem to be tightly related to the ecology of a species.
|
Miklósi, Á. (2002). Cecilia Heyes and Ludwig Huber (eds): The Evolution of Cognition. Anim. Cogn., 5(3), 187–189. |
Miklósi, Á. (2002). On the usefulness and limits of functional analogies. Anim. Cogn., 5(1), 17–18. |
Milgram, N. W., Head, E., Muggenburg, B., Holowachuk, D., Murphey, H., Estrada, J., et al. (2002). Landmark discrimination learning in the dog: effects of age, an antioxidant fortified food, and cognitive strategy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 26(6), 679–695.
Abstract: The landmark discrimination learning test can be used to assess the ability to utilize allocentric spatial information to locate targets. The present experiments examined the role of various factors on performance of a landmark discrimination learning task in beagle dogs. Experiments 1 and 2 looked at the effects of age and food composition. Experiments 3 and 4 were aimed at characterizing the cognitive strategies used in performance on this task and in long-term retention. Cognitively equivalent groups of old and young dogs were placed into either a test group maintained on food enriched with a broad-spectrum of antioxidants and mitochondrial cofactors, or a control group maintained on a complete and balanced food formulated for adult dogs. Following a wash-in period, the dogs were tested on a series of problems, in which reward was obtained when the animal responded selectively to the object closest to a thin wooden block, which served as a landmark. In Experiment 1, dogs were first trained to respond to a landmark placed directly on top of coaster, landmark 0 (L0). In the next phase of testing, the landmark was moved at successively greater distances (1, 4 or 10 cm) away from the reward object. Learning varied as a function of age group, food group, and task. The young dogs learned all of the tasks more quickly than the old dogs. The aged dogs on the enriched food learned L0 significantly more rapidly than aged dogs on control food. A higher proportion of dogs on the enriched food learned the task, when the distance was increased to 1cm. Experiment 2 showed that accuracy decreased with increased distance between the reward object and landmark, and this effect was greater in old animals. Experiment 3 showed stability of performance, despite using a novel landmark, and new locations, indicating that dogs learned the landmark concept. Experiment 4 found age impaired long-term retention of the landmark task. These results indicate that allocentric spatial learning is impaired in an age-dependent manner in dogs, and that age also affects performance when the distance between the landmark and target is increased. In addition, these results both support a role of oxidative damage in the development of age-associated cognitive dysfunction and indicate that short-term administration of a food enriched with supplemental antioxidants and mitochondrial cofactors can partially reverse the deleterious effects of aging on cognition.
Keywords: Age Factors; Aging/*physiology; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antioxidants/*pharmacology; Blood Chemical Analysis/methods; Cognition/*physiology; *Diet; Discrimination Learning/*drug effects/*physiology; Distance Perception/drug effects/physiology; Dogs/physiology; Female; Male; Psychomotor Performance/physiology; Retention (Psychology)/drug effects/physiology; Spatial Behavior/*drug effects/*physiology; Task Performance and Analysis; Time Factors; Vitamin E/blood
|
Mills, D., & Clarke, A. (2002). Housing, Management and Welfare. In The Welfare of Horses (pp. 77–97).
Abstract: Horses tend to be housed in loose boxes, stalls, barns and shelters for ease of management, however these systems present several possible threats to equine health and welfare. These systems are reviewed together with the concerns they raise. A common system for the evaluation of the welfare of contained animals focuses on the provision of five freedoms. These are freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition, from discomfort, from pain, injury and disease, from fear and distress and to express most normal patterns of behaviour. This approach is used to assess the ways in which horse welfare may be compromised by certain housing practices and management regimes. Recommendations as to how these problems can be resolved and to promote good practice are provided.
|
Mills, D. S., Alston, R. D., Rogers, V., & Longford, N. T. (2002). Factors associated with the prevalence of stereotypic behaviour amongst Thoroughbred horses passing through auctioneer sales. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 78(2-4), 115–124.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether sex, age and/or coat colour were associated with the occurrence of stereotypic behaviour in the horse and to assess whether the occurrence of one type of stereotypy in an individual was associated with the occurrence of another specific type of stereotypy. The incidence of stereotypic boxwalking, weaving (both locomotor stereotypies) and oral stereotypy in 4061 Thoroughbred horses passing through five bloodstock auctions were recorded from sale declarations and information on returns. An overall prevalence of 5.1% was recorded, and varied with sex (P<0.001) and age (P<0.001) but not coat colour (P=0.495). Prevalence was higher in females, geldings, and 2-year-olds. Examination of the assumption that stereotypies are acquired independently suggested a higher than expected prevalence of animals with more than one stereotypy. The interaction was not the same for all forms of stereotypy recorded. The effect was greatest between boxwalking and weaving, (odds ratio 13.6) whilst combinations involving oral and locomotor stereotypies had lower odds ratios (between 2.9 and 4.9).
Keywords: Behaviour; Horses; Management; Prevalence; Stereotypy; Stress
|
Milo, R., Shen-Orr, S., Itzkovitz, S., Kashtan, N., Chklovskii, D., & Alon, U. (2002). Network Motifs: Simple Building Blocks of Complex Networks. Science, 298(5594), 824–827.
Abstract: Complex networks are studied across many fields of science. To uncover their structural design principles, we defined “network motifs,” patterns of interconnections occurring in complex networks at numbers that are significantly higher than those in randomized networks. We found such motifs in networks from biochemistry, neurobiology, ecology, and engineering. The motifs shared by ecological food webs were distinct from the motifs shared by the genetic networks of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae or from those found in the World Wide Web. Similar motifs were found in networks that perform information processing, even though they describe elements as different as biomolecules within a cell and synaptic connections between neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. Motifs may thus define universal classes of networks. This approach may uncover the basic building blocks of most networks.
|
Moehlman, P. D. (Ed.). (2002). Equids: zebras, asses and horses: status survey and conservation action plan. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
Abstract: Once one of the most abundant grazing animals, now only seven species remain. Equids persist in some of the harshest climates and terrains in the world, habitats which are also home to many human populations. Conservation will depend on local nomadic pastoralists participating in, and benefiting from, the conservation management of their areas. Included are summaries of the conservation status, biology and ecology of wild zebras, asses, and horses and recommendations for conservation action
Quantity: or Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. More Buying Choices 3 used & new from $31.46 Get it for less! Order it used Have one to sell? Sell yours here Tell a Friend Equids: Zebras, Asses And Horses: Status Survey And Conservation Action Plan Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book. Equids: Zebras, Asses And Horses: Status Survey And Conservation Action Plan (Paperback) by Patricia D Moehlman (Editor) No customer reviews yet.Be the first. List Price: $32.00 Price: $32.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details Availability: In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available. Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way). Want it delivered Friday, June 29? Order it in the next 8 hours and 13 minutes, and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. See details 3 used & new available from $31.46 Keep connected to what's happening in the world of books by signing up for Amazon.com Books Delivers, our monthly subscription e-mail newsletters. Discover new releases in your favorite categories, popular pre-orders and bestsellers, exclusive author interviews and podcasts, special sales, and more. Editorial Reviews Book Description The new Equid Action Plan provides current knowledge on the biology, ecology and conservation status of wild zebras, asses, and horses. It specifies what information is lacking, and prioritizes needed conservation actions. The Action Plan also provides chapters on equid taxonomy, genetics, reproductive biology, and population dynamics. These chapters highlight unsolved issues of taxonomy and genetics. They also provide information and insight into the special demographic and genetic challenges of managing small populations. The chapter on disease provides a review of documented equine disease and epidemiology and focuses on priorities for equid conservation health. The final chapter deals with the importance of developing an assessment methodology that explicitly considers the role of equids in ecosystems and the ecological processes that are necessary for ecosystem viability. The approach of combining ecological field studies and ecosystem modeling should prove useful for the scientific management and conservation of wild equids worldwide. These chapters provide research and conservation practitioners with new information and paradigms. |
Moons, C., Heleski, C. R., Leece, C. M., & Zanella, A. J. (2002). Conflicting Results in the Association Between Plasma and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Foals.
Abstract: Introduction
Glucocorticoids are present in many biological fluids as a free fraction or bound to Corticoid Binding Globulins (CBG) (Matteri et al, 2000). There are conflicting claims regarding the validity of saliva as a biological fluid to measure cortisol in horses (Lebelt et al, 1996; McGreevy and Pell, 1998; van der Kolk et al, 2001). Measuring changes in salivary cortisol levels in normal horses and horses with Cushing`s disease van der Kolk and collaborators (2001) demonstrated the validity of saliva to assess adrenal function. Puzzling results were reported by McGreevy and Pell (1998) who suggested that plasma and salivary cortisol concentrations in horses showing oral stereotypies were correlated but this association was non-existent in control animals. Investigating the responses of foals to branding and foot-trimming Zanella et al (unpublished results) were unable to identify a relationship between plasma and salivary cortisol levels in foals. In several species, levels of cortisol in plasma and saliva are tightly correlated (Fenske, 1996). Cortisol found in blood consists of a fraction bound to corticoid binding globulin (CBG) and a free, unbound fraction. Free cortisol represents the biologically active fraction of this steroid hormone. Salivary cortisol reflects the unbound fraction found in plasma or serum and it passes readily through the parotid membrane (Riad-Fahmy, 1983; Horning Walker et al,1977). Unbound steroids transfer rapidly between plasma and saliva (Walker,1989; Scott et al 1990). Saliva flow-rate does not appear to influence saliva cortisol levels in different species (Hubert and de Jong-Meyer, 1989; Walker 1989, Scott et a, 1990). In horses, Lebelt et al (1996) reported that salivary and plasma total cortisol in stallions were correlated. We hypothesized that changes in salivary cortisol in foals would show a pattern that is correlated to that of plasma free and plasma total cortisol concentrations in foals. In addition, we anticipated that the lack of good sampling techniques provides an explanation for the failure in determining the association between salivary and plasma cortisol in foals. |